S T R E T C H

I have a new trainer at the mega-gym I go to and today was my first session with him. I have never used a trainer before, so this was something new to me. My ultimate goal is to tone up and slim down a little.

I was relieved that my body fat wasn’t in the dreaded “Unacceptable” range, but it could use some trimming.

Anyway, I was kind of nervous about keeping the appointment when I read my trainer’s credentials. He is a world champion martial artist, specializing in ju-jitsu. I was hesitant that if I couldn’t complete a routine that he would give me a roundhouse kick to my noggin. Luckily, he seems pretty peaceful, but I still wouldn’t want to meet him in a ring or dark alley.

So in this “get to know you” session we didn’t work out to the max. The first half of the session was used to get my measurements, weight and body fat.

We then headed out to do some core strengthening, which was definitely difficult.

For the last 10 minutes though he helped stretch me out, like you would see athlete doing before a game. Mainly it was stretching my legs out, and lemme tell you I feel like $1 million right now.

Stretching is great for the muscles and helps them to remain as flexible as they were intended to be. As you grow older, your muscles tighten and without stretching on a regular basis, they get used to the tightened position and you become less flexible.

Stretching helps you in many ways, and it is recommended that you stretch once a day. You can do so while sitting in front of your computer or TV. Anywhere you have enough room to completely stretch your legs and arms out is as good of a spot as you will find.

You can stretch in any order, but as you are stretching remember that the key is to stretch out the muscles, so don’t bob around, simply grab a hold of the body part you are stretching and hold for 5 to 10 seconds.

The following is what the trainer and I did, and is a good basis for any stretching routine.

· Neck – Grab a hold of your head and tilt it to one side until you feel resistance and hold for a 10 count then grab the other side and repeat. Remember, since the neck is an injure prone body part, don’t jerk or tug on the neck, simply grab your head and hold in place.

· Arms – Grab your elbow with your opposite arm and pull across your body. Again, hold for a 10 count, release and repeat on the other side. You can also grab your elbow above your head with the other arm and pull across the body. Again, hold, release, repeat on the other side.

· Legs – There are many muscles in the legs that need stretching, from the quads to the hamstrings to the calves. Stretch each one for a 10 count, and switch to the other side.

· Back – You can stretch your back by leaning backwards over your chair.

These are the basics of stretching, as always if something hurts then stop what you are doing right away. If the pain persists, see a doctor.

It is common knowledge to stretch before you participate in any sporting activity, but try and stretch before you leave the house in the morning and see how good you feel all day.

If you have any other stretching tips, leave a comment in the comments section.

Keep sporting!
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